Police, firefighters to compete
CHAMPAIGN – Champaign police officers and firefighters will compete on the football field Saturday afternoon to help raise money for a planned memorial for officers who died in the line of duty.
The Champaign Police Benevolent Association will face Champaign Fire Fighters Local 1260 in a benefit eight-on-eight flag football game at 1 p.m. Saturday at McKinley Field, the Unit 4 practice field in the 700 block of South New Street, Champaign.
Gates will open at 12:30 p.m. Fans are asked to contribute money for the proposed fire and police memorial.
T-shirts will be on sale at the game. Visitors can sponsor engraved bricks for the memorial site, and proceeds from the concession stand will also go toward the project.
"We'll be grilling some food, and we'll have a 50/50 raffle," said Champaign police Officer Justus Clinton, one of the organizers, along with Jason Rector and Carrol Whitehouse of the Champaign Fire Department.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for people in the community to support the memorial project," said Champaign police Detective Joe Johnston. "The memorial is for police officers and firefighters who died in the line of duty."
The planned memorial, to be built at the northeast corner of West Side Park, will be a granite monument with two life-sized bronze statues and an illuminated flag pole. Bronze plaques will honor fallen Champaign firefighters and police officers.
Johnston said two Champaign police officers, Thomas Dodsworth and Robert Tatman, died in the line of duty.
Champaign Fire Department spokeswoman Dena Schumacher said one Champaign firefighter, Eddie Hoffman, died in the line of duty.
More information concerning the fire and police memorial is available at http://www.brickrus.com/order/memorial.
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